Now that we have officially been back in classes for a month, it is setting in: the COVID-Funk. That feeling of never leaving your apartment, missing the way that college and life used to be, wishing you were planning spring break in a Florida city with all of your best girlfriends. I try my very best to always have an optimistic outlook on life, maintaining a motto of “half-full.” But when it has been raining in Winston-Salem for six straight days, and your Snapchat memories show you photos and videos from a year ago today with all of your friends (yes, more than ten of you guys inside), that “half-full” attitude feels harder and harder to grasp. Ah yes, the COVID-Funk. Luckily, though, I am no stranger to this funk (at this point it is as familiar to me as “Sunday Scaries”), and there are so many little changes that you can make in your day-to-day life to get out of it (or even avoid it altogether).
*Queue Kylie Jenner saying: “Dude, I’m getting my personality back. I’m feeling like myself again”*
1. Actually Get Dressed in the Morning
I think we can all agree that some of the sense of normalcy that we are lacking lies in the fact that we stay in our pajamas all day (unless that is just me). I used to love getting dressed up cute for class, but just because we may not be going to class face-to-face doesn’t mean that we have to stay in an oversized t-shirt from junior year of high school and flannel pajama pants all day! I’m not saying that you have to wear jeans every day (baby steps), but getting dressed in the morning will make you feel more put together and, in turn, you are likely to be more productive throughout the day!
2. …and while you’re at it, Do your Makeup!
Obviously, just as it was for your pre-COVID, face-to-face days, you do not need makeup to look beautiful on Zoom. But, if you’re like me, putting a little bit of concealer (mainly to hide lack of sleep) and mascara makes me feel ready to tackle the day! Something that I really miss doing is spending time doing my makeup if I have something fun planned for the day or night. For me, wearing fun-colored eyeshadow or eyeliner is how I add a little spunk to my outfit. It helps me express my creativity. Doing my makeup makes me feel happy, so I really try to make a point of doing that! But even if you do not share those same feelings, taking five or ten minutes to do your makeup is totally a kind of self-care, which there is never enough of.
3. Speaking of Self-Care, Do Some of That Too
If you have your desk in your bedroom (i.e. your classroom and your study space), you know the feeling of not being able to escape your work. Even if I am relaxing watching The Crown in my bed, I see my desk staring at me and my textbooks judging me for not continuing doing work. But it is so important to allow yourself to take time for journaling, meditating, a bubble bath, a face mask, or literally anything else that helps you relax and makes you feel happy.
4. Get Outside and Get Active
If you know me, you may be shocked to hear me encouraging others to “get active.” It’s true, I am not the most workout-friendly person. But, recently I tried going to CycleBar (shoutout to my roommate for encouraging me to go with her), and I absolutely loved it! Actually, let me rephrase: I loved the way I felt afterward (the out-of-breath, dry-heaving-to-Lady-Gaga feeling during the class, not so much). While it was definitely super difficult, I was in such a great mood afterward! I felt like I truly released all of my anxiety. I am not saying that joining a gym or signing up for a workout class membership is the only way, though. Simply making time to leave your room, get some fresh air, and release some endorphins by getting active is enough to relieve anxiety and make you feel better!
5. Find a Creative Outlet (even if you are not “artistic”)
Recently, I spontaneously ordered a massive watercolor painting kit off of Amazon… sorry, Dad. I am far from what you would consider “artistic,” but in the past week that I have had this watercolor kit, I have loved it. I even created a Pinterest board dedicated to inspiration, watercolor techniques, and tutorials for different things to paint. My first trial of lemons looked more like an abstract yellow-blob piece, but that’s okay! I have loved taking some time to sit and just play around with the colors. Again, it is a fun creative outlet! Whether it be painting, listening to music (also a top favorite of mine), writing, cooking, or making Pinterest boards designing your dream house, take a break from what feels like an endless cycle of school to do something that makes you happy.
The Bottom Line: I have found that a combination of bringing back a sense of normalcy into my day and trying new things that make me happy helped me get out of my funk. While I’m confident that these would help anyone get out of their funk, too, I think that the most important thing is to take time for yourself.